Montado en su bicicleta, Carlos Bedoya Montoya se ha convertido en parte de las estampas cotidianas de la inspección de la Unión Peneya, un sitio enigmático, marcado por la magia de la selva caqueteña y por la cruda violencia que azotó a sus habitantes en el año 2004 cuando debieron abandonar el lugar para morir en medio del fuego cruzado.
Hoy, luego del retorno de su población, la Unión Peneya, es un paraje acogedor donde la gente trabaja sin ahorrar esfuerzos por sacar adelante a sus familias.
Don Carlos, por su carisma, se ha convertido en el alma del pueblo que recorre las calles tanto como el clima se lo permite para encontrarse con viejos conocidos y disfrutar de las cosas más sencillas de la vida, como un juego de parqués, saborear un helado o escuchar las recetas milagrosas del culebrero del pueblo.
Confundido con el resto de la población, don Carlos o “El Paisita”, como le dicen con cariño sus amigos por su acento marcado, pareciera uno más. Pero no es así: es un sobreviviente del conflicto armado al que poco le gusta hablar de ese azaroso pasado cuando acabaron con la vida de uno de sus hermanos y le dieron la orden de abandonar su terruño a orillas del río Caguán en Cartagena del Chairá, a donde había llegado proveniente de Tuluá, Valle del Cauca. “Teníamos que hacer lo que ellos dijeran”, manifiesta con nostalgia e incluso con temor de precisar que la presión venía de la entonces guerrilla de las Farc.
Unit
Condenado al destierro, luego de tener un proyecto de vida con la cría de ganado, la siembra de café amazónico, maíz, plátano y otros negocios que manejaba a orillas del río Caguán con una flota de deslizadores de pasajeros, el “Paisita” dejó los bellos atardeceres de garzas rosadas y retornó al Valle, sin lograr buena fortuna.
Pasados algunos años decidió intentar de nuevo en Caquetá, esta vez en la Unión Peneya, en medio de estrecheces económicas, pero, respaldado por la Unidad de Víctimas, que lo ha venido acompañando en su proceso de reparación integral.
“A la Unidad para las Víctimas le agradezco que me hubiera indemnizado hace cuatro años. La platica que nos dio la dividimos miti y miti con mi señora y construimos la casa donde pasaremos nuestros últimos años de vida, si es que no nos separamos, y una residencia ubicada en la parte céntrica de la Unión Peneya la bautizamos con el nombre de El Paisita, donde cobramos a 30 mil pesos la noche por persona, con derecho a buena cama, ventilador y televisión. ¿Para qué más, cierto?”, dice.
El hotel de Carlos
Es en la residencia “El Paisita” donde se hospedan desde los funcionarios del estado que visitan el lugar, los comerciantes y hasta “los novios”, como dice don Carlos con risa entrecortada.
A sus años 80 años, dice con orgullo que es un hombre fuerte al que “ni el covid le entra”, pero del que, eso sí, él se cuida con su tapabocas. Sin embargo confiesa que el cuerpo no responde a las pesadas faenas de otros tiempos, lo que lo hace más mesurado y hasta se aventura a reflexionar con sarcasmo.
“Mientras los ricos del pueblo andan en carros de 200 millones de pesos, yo ando en un carro de dos llantas de $200.000 pesos; mi bicicleta es mi nuevo amor, además me mantiene en forma”.
Le gusta ir de un lugar a otro en su bicicleta polichada para aconsejar a sus amigos en cosas del amor, en los negocios y solucionar problemas entre vecinos, así como lograr pequeñas obras locales que se pueden resolver con el acuerdo de todos.
Además de su gusto por la bicicleta es un aficionado a ver televisión con su mujer, cuando está de reconciliación, chatear por el celular con la familia que se encuentra radicada en el Valle y con sus hijos a quienes ama profundamente. “Ya todos están mayores, tienen esposas, hijos y son grandes comerciantes de la región, eso sí son muy correctos y honrados como yo”, asegura.
A don Carlos le gusta disfrutar de los atardeceres y de vuelo de las garzas rosadas y es en esos espacios de relajación, en casa, o en el parque de cara al viejo templo local donde la nostalgia lo embarga. “Me gustaba la parrandita, trabajaba en lo que pudiera”, recuerda, reconociendo que no ha sido muy fiel, por lo cual el divorcio puede ser inevitable.
“Yo soy a los 80 años un hombre impecable, bien hablado, bien vestido, conversador y buena persona, mire usted, no es por dármelas, pero ese es mi éxito con las mujeres”, agrega.
Este hombre curtido por las experiencias de la vida agradece al Gobierno por las ayudas, diariamente asiste al comedor de la tercera edad del centro poblado para recibir sus alimentos y adicionalmente los bonos de adulto mayor, aunque “nada es perfecto, siempre habrá un motivo de inconformidad”, reniega indicando que ha llegado la hora de despedirnos, salir a pasear en su carro de dos ruedas. Comienza, de ese modo, una nueva aventura en lo que él considera “el mejor vividero del mundo”.
Y se va diciendo: “La felicidad no consiste en vivir sin problemas, sino en saber vivir”.
(FIN/NILR/COG)
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Disability profiles accepted on our website
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Notes, comments and feedback
Despite our best efforts to allow anyone to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of being made accessible, or lack an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we're continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating, and improving its features and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this to achieve the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advances. For assistance, please contact servicioalciudadano@unidadvictimas.gov.co